Travels in North America. iii 



perfe^flly, fay that thofe three of which I have fpoken have all 

 the Charaders of primitive Languages ; arid it is certain that 

 they have not the fame Origin ; which the Pronunciation alone 

 is fufîicient to prove. The Siou whiftles in fpeaking ; the Hu- 

 rcn has no labial Letter, which he cannot pronounce, he fpeaks 

 in the Throat, and afperates almofl every Syllable ; the Algon- 

 quin pronounces with more Sweetnefs, and fpèaks more natu- 

 turally. I can learn nothing particular of the nrfl of thefe 

 three Languages, but our antient Miffionaries have much ftu- 

 died the two lafl, and their principal Dialeds : This is what I 

 have heard from the moft fkilful. 



The Huron Language has a Copioufnefs, an Energy, and a Sub- 

 limity perhaps not to be found united in any of the £neft that 

 we know; and thofe whofe native Tongue it is, tho' they are 

 now but a Handful of Men, have fuch an Elevation of Soul 

 that agrees much better with the Majefly of their Language^ 

 than v^^ith the fad State to Vv^hich they are reduced. Some have 

 fancied they found in it fome Similitude v/ith the Hebre^-w i 

 others, and the greatell Number, have maintained it had the 

 fame Origin as the Greek ; but nothing is more trifling than the 

 Proofs they bring for it. We mull not depend efpecially upon the 

 Vocabulary of Brother Gabriel Saghard^ a Recollet who hath been 

 cited to fupport this Opinion ; much lefs on thofe of James Cnr-^ 

 tier and the Baron de la Hontan. Thefe three Authors took at 

 Random fome Terms, fome of which were Huron, others Jl^ 

 gonquin, which they ill retained, and which often fignified quite 

 different from what they thought. And how many Errors have 

 been occafioned by fuch Mi (lakes of many Travellers. 



The Algonquin Language has not fo much Force as the Hurouy 



^, ^ ^ . but has more Sweetnefs and Elegance : Both 

 Lwaradier or the t-. • -l r r t? /r \r • ^ 



Al on uin Lan ^^^^ ^ Richneis or Expremons, a variety of 

 gOxiqum a7i- ^^^^^^^ ^ Propriety of Terms, a Regularity 

 which alloniih : But what is more furprifing 

 is, that among thefe Barbarians who never itudy to fpcak well, 

 and who never had the Ufe of Wrinng, there is not intro- 

 duced a bad Word, an improper Term, or a vicious Conduc- 

 tion ; and even Children preferve all the Purity of the Lan- 

 guage in their common Difcourfe. On the other Hand, the 

 Manner in which they animate all they fay, leaves no Room to 

 doubt of their comprehending all the Worth of their Expreffi- 

 ons, and all the Beauty of their Language. The Diale£ls which 

 are derived from bpth, have not preferved all their Beauties, 

 nor the fame Force. The T/onnonthouans, for Inftance (this is one 

 of the five Iroquois Cantons) pafs among the Savages to have a 

 vulgar or rude Language. 



R I^ 



